Men's Health - UK (2019-07)

MEN’S HEALTH 67

For...
Serious Muscle Fuel
Steak, Spring Onion
and Parmesan
Pat your steak dry, then place it
on the burning embers: “cooking
dirty” chars the meat nicely. Slice
the spring onions lengthways from
an inch above the base,
lightly oil and place on the
grill, 12in above the
embers, to soften them.
Brush the embers off
your steak and wrap in
foil for 10 minutes.
Slice it into strips,
season and serve
with the Parmesan
and onions.

For...

A Light Lunch

Sardines, Lemon

Zest and Parsley

Catch the fish yourself, if you

can, or buy them fresh from

a fishmonger. Gut the fillets

with a pair of scissors, remove

the scales, then whittle a

couple of wooden skewers.

Insert from mouth to tail,

down the backbone, then

coat in lemon zest and salt.

Get the embers hot, then

fry them in an oiled pan

for two minutes per

side. Flake the fish off

the bone, finish with

parsley and serve

with an old mug of

chilled Sauvignon.

A top

source of

creatine for

better muscle

function

Swimming

with

brain-

preserving

omega-3

fats

05

Playing

with

Fire

Starting a fire ignites

a primitive joy

that no gadget can

match. Let Thom Hunt

show you how*

The Fuel

Holding a cheap cornershop

lighter to a big branch won’t

cut it. You need to start

small and grow your fire.

Now Feel the Burn

If the ground is damp, lay

a base of flat stones. Light

the tinder; you’ll have 10-30

seconds to catch your

kindling. Once your fire is

the size of a football, add

the main fuel in a tipi shape.

You need enough kindling

and ember to keep it

burning until it catches. Add

the larger fuel gradually.

Once it’s roaring, sit back –

marshmallows optional.

Tinder – dry grass, paper,

matchstick-thin twigs.

Silver birch bark is ideal,

as it contains oils. Keep the

tinder in your pocket – your

body heat will dry it.

Kindling – small twigs split

up to the thickness of your

finger. Use the “snap test”:

a dull snap means it’s too

damp. If hard to pull apart,

it’s too fresh. It should snap

crisply and cleanly.

Main Fuel – logs as thick

as your wrist, or bigger. A

smokeless fire requires dry

fuel. Stack your extra logs

around the fire as it burns

and the heat will slowly dry

them out, ready for use.

*Although many campsites do

allow campfires, always check

to ensure you have the land

owner’s permission.